Kinkisharyo plans new Palmdale, Calif., site

Written by
William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief

Transit car manufacturer Kinkisharyo-USA will construct a new, permanent manufacturing facility in Palmdale, Calif. The $60 million dollar project to build the 460,000-square-foot plant is expected to create hundreds of construction jobs and when completed provide between 150 to 200 manufacturing jobs.

The City of Palmdale will sell 60 acres of land located on the corner of Sierra Highway and Ave. M for $1.3 million to Kinkisharyo, and bring utilities and infrastructure to the property. The targeted completion date is May 2015.

Kinkisharyo landed a 10-year, $891 million contract with the Los Angeles MTA for 200 railcars for the Metro system. Currently, Kinkisharyo is leasing a hanger at Palmdale Plant 42’s Site 9, where the first two railcars are scheduled to be completed by June.

In a letter sent to the Palmdale’s Director of Economic Development and Communications Dave Walter, Kinkisharyo General Manager, Program Management Donald S. Boss wrote, “We look forward to partnering with the City and the opportunity to develop a long-term working relationship. On behalf of all of us at Kinkisharyo, we thank you for your patience and appreciate the effort that you and your team went through to make this deal happen. We will be proud to call Palmdale our new home.”

“This is a monumental project for Palmdale and the Antelope Valley as a whole,” said Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford. “Having Kinkisharyo come here and build a permanent facility helps further solidify our position as the transportation epicenter of California. I believe this is just the beginning of a manufacturing renaissance here in the Antelope Valley. With the Palmdale Power Plant and now Kinkisharyo at the Sierra Highway and Ave. M location, it kick-starts one of the most valuable pieces of industrial real estate in Southern California. As this area is developed with infrastructure, as well as easy access to rail and freeways, it opens up the reality of creating an inland port right here in the AV. This will bring even more jobs and economic stability to our region.”